Biomass-Derived Carbon Materials for the Electrode of Metal–Air Batteries

Abstract

Facing the challenges of energy crisis and global warming, the development of renewable energy has received more and more attention. To offset the discontinuity of renewable energy, such as wind and solar energy, it is urgent to search for an excellent performance energy storage system to match them. Metal–air batteries (typical representative: Li–air battery and Zn–air battery) have broad prospects in the field of energy storage due to their high specific capacity and environmental friendliness. The drawbacks preventing the massive application of metal–air batteries are the poor reaction kinetics and high overpotential during the charging–discharging process, which can be alleviated by the application of an electrochemical catalyst and porous cathode. Biomass, also, as a renewable resource, plays a critical role in the preparation of carbon-based catalysts and porous cathode with excellent performance for metal–air batteries due to the inherent rich heteroatom and pore structure of biomass. In this paper, we have reviewed the latest progress in the creative preparation of porous cathode for the Li–air battery and Zn–air battery from biomass and summarized the effects of various biomass sources precursors on the composition, morphology and structure-activity relationship of cathode. This review will help us understand the relevant applications of biomass carbon in the field of metal–air batteries.

Biomass‐Derived Catalytically Active Carbon Materials for the Air Electrode of Zn‐Air Batteries

“…Compared with the existing applications of biomassderived CACs in MABs, this paper mainly discusses the application of biomass-derived CACs in ZABs air electrodes. [226][227][228] The novelty and significance of our work are shown as follows. (1) The latest literature on the application of biomass-derived CACs to ZABs air electrodes are systematically reviewed.…”

“…There is little systematic discussion of the practical application of biomass‐derived CACs in ZABs. Compared with the existing applications of biomass‐derived CACs in MABs, this paper mainly discusses the application of biomass‐derived CACs in ZABs air electrodes [226–228] . The novelty and significance of our work are shown as follows.…”

Advances in flexible zinc–air batteries: working principles, preparation of key components, and electrode configuration design

“…in plant/animal-based biomass materials, pyrolysis of biomass materials is also an efficient and low-cost strategy for preparing heteroatom-doped porous carbon catalysts. 56,57 As illustrated in Fig. 2h-j, Li et al synthesized a 3D N-doped porous carbon (BRC AC 850 2 ) through pyrolysis and hydrothermal treatment of the Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma.…”

Advanced nano-bifunctional electrocatalysts in Li–air batteries for high coulombic efficiency

“…Numerous electrocatalysts, including noble metals and their oxides, 23,24 alloys, 25,26 transition metal compounds, 27,28 carbon materials, 29,30 and soluble redox mediators, 31,32 have been developed to improve round trip efficiency in LABs in the past few decades. In general, noble metals and their oxides have the highest intrinsic activity but are expensive.…”